Have you been interested in learning Mandarin Chinese in 2021, but have no idea where to start? The step-by-step guide below is for all beginners and those considering learning Mandarin Chinese but who are lost on exactly how to get started.
Let’s face it, learning Chinese is not for everybody and it requires investing lots of precious time to become good at it.To help you learn for yourself whether you are willing to invest your own time into learning the language, try taking a free online class.
With these free classes, you will get a first hand look at what to expect when learning Mandarin Chinese under the instruction of a native speaker.
Fulfilling your personal goals in learning Chinese will require much more than taking a course in Chinese.
After arming yourself with some essential resources, learn to pronounce words properly in Chinese. I’m sure you’ve encountered many words and names like Xi’an or Qin Shihuang and have no idea how they are pronounced.The secret to pronouncing Chinese words, and reading Chinese characters for that matter, is to start by learning pinyin.
Pinyin is the most commonly used system for writing Chinese using roman letters. For example, 我是中国人 in pinyin is wŏ shì zhōngguó rén. Each character in Chinese represents one syllable and can be spelled out phonetically in pinyin.
To help you nail down pinyin and proper pronunciation in Mandarin, try speaking with a native speaker. Native speakers will ensure you are pronouncing words correctly and help you transition from saying simple words and phrases to having basic conversations.
It’s also important to start listening to Chinese as much as possible. We learned our native language through listening and you should apply the same strategy to learn Mandarin Chinese.Improving your listening is a skill that won’t happen overnight and takes considerable time. Luckily it is something we can do both actively and passively.
Start small with 30 minutes of studying Chinese per day. You want to study only as long as you are having fun and enjoying the process. The more you study, the faster you will improve. But the more you enjoy studying, the more you will study.
It is far better to do 30 minutes a day than to do 3 or 4 hours in a single sitting once a week and risking burnout. Do your best to make learning Chinese part of your daily ritual.
The last thing is to be consistent in how you learn. Once you find a method of learning, stick to it. By sticking to a regular routine, you are more likely to remember what you have learned and can expand your knowledge of Chinese with new content.